Board approves creation of an honors college after debate over faculty commitments

The Austin Peay State University Board of Trustees voted in favor of forming an honors college, approving a committee motion brought by Trustee May after an extended discussion about staffing, governance and process.

Dr. Tim Wers, who identified himself as the honors program director, told the board that he did not support the proposal “as is because it creates high paid administrators rather than filling the need for permanent faculty.” He said the proposal had been presented without sufficient stakeholder review and that required campus approvals were not clearly documented.

Provost Dr. Ro responded that the proposal followed the university’s reorganization procedures, that elements of the honors program’s earlier proposal had been reviewed, and that the honors college plan leverages existing personnel and positions rather than immediately hiring a large roster of new full‑time honors faculty. “What we are asking you to approve … is a structure where we can name interim leaders and then conduct searches,” the provost said, adding that hiring eight or nine dedicated honors faculty immediately would cost nearly $1 million and was “a non‑starter.”

Trustee May, whose academic affairs committee brought the motion, framed the change as necessary to remain competitive in the region and to attract and retain higher‑achieving students. President Lucari said he supported the proposal and described the process used to develop it as appropriate given the scope of the organizational change.

After discussion, the chair called for a voice vote. The motion carried and the board approved the formation of an honors college; trustees did not record an individual roll‑call vote in the transcript for this motion.

Why it matters: Trustees said a college structure could enhance recruitment and external support for honors students; the program director warned that switching to a college without new faculty hires risks prioritizing administration over instructional capacity. The board’s approval starts an implementation path that, according to university leadership, will include interim leadership and later national searches for permanent administrators.

Next steps: The provost said an interim dean and associate dean will be named and a national search for a dean would be launched in the fall, with any permanent hires phased in later.